going to Sesheke, and crossing over in a N.E. direction to the Kafue, which is only six days distant, and descending that river to the Zambesi.  Others recommended me to go on the south bank of the Zambesi until I had passed the falls, then get canoes and proceed farther down the river.  All spoke strongly of the difficulties of traveling on the north bank, on account of the excessively broken and rocky nature of the country near the river on that side.  And when Ponuane, who had lately headed a foray there, proposed that I should carry canoes along that side till we reached the spot where the Leeambye becomes broad and placid again, others declared that, from the difficulties he himself had experienced in forcing the men of his expedition to do this, they believed that mine would be sure to desert me if I attempted to impose such a task upon them.  Another objection to traveling on either bank of the river was the prevalence of the tsetse, which is so abundant that the inhabitants can keep no domestic animals except goats.

While pondering over these different paths, I could not help regretting my being alone.  If I had enjoyed the company of my former companion, Mr. Oswell, one of us might have taken the Zambesi, and the other gone by way of Zanzibar.  The latter route was decidedly the easiest, because all the inland tribes were friendly, while the tribes in the direction of the Zambesi were inimical, and I should now be obliged to lead a party, which the Batoka of that country view as hostile invaders, through an enemy’s land; but, as the prospect of permanent water-conveyance was good, I decided on going down the Zambesi, and keeping on the north bank, because, in the map given by Bowditch, Tete, the farthest inland station of the Portuguese, is erroneously placed on that side.  Being near the end of September, the rains were expected daily; the clouds were collecting, and the wind blew strongly from the east, but it was excessively hot.  All the Makololo urged me strongly to remain till the ground should be cooled by the rains; and as it was probable that I should get fever if I commenced my journey now, I resolved to wait.  The parts of the country about 17 Deg. and 18 Deg. suffer from drought and become dusty.  It is but the commencement of the humid region to the north, and partakes occasionally of the character of both the wet and dry regions.  Some idea may be formed of the heat in October by the fact that the thermometer (protected) stood, in the shade of my wagon, at 100 Deg. through the day.  It rose to 110 Deg. if unprotected from the wind; at dark it showed 89 Deg.; at 10 o’clock, 80 Deg.; and then gradually sunk till sunrise, when it was 70 Deg.  That is usually the period of greatest cold in each twenty-four hours in this region.  The natives, during the period of greatest heat, keep in their huts, which are always pleasantly cool by day, but close and suffocating by night.  Those who are able to afford it sit guzzling beer or boyaloa.